Your kidneys are like your body’s natural filter—they “clean” your blood, get rid of extra fluids and help keep things like blood pressure in check. When your kidneys aren't working properly, it can lead to big health problems.
Types of kidney disease
Kidney disease is divided into 2 main types:
- Acute: This comes on suddenly and is often caused by another condition or reaction to medication. With quick treatment, it can usually be reversed.
- Chronic: This is a long-term condition and usually gets worse over time. “In the most serious cases, the kidneys can stop working completely,” explains John Epling, MD, a Carilion Clinic family physician.
What causes kidney problems?
A few common things can lead to kidney disease:
- Certain illnesses: Including diabetes, heart disease, some autoimmune conditions and other diseases
- High blood pressure: This puts a lot of stress on your kidneys
- Infections or blockages: Like kidney stones or a swollen prostate
- Medications: Including certain over-the-counter pain meds, diuretics and antibiotics used too often or at too high of a dose
“Family history also plays a part,” says Dr. Epling. “If someone in your family has kidney disease, you’re more likely to have it, too.”
Signs of kidney disease
Kidney disease can be hard to spot, especially in the early stages. But as it gets worse, you may experience:
- Feeling tired all the time
- Swollen feet, ankles or hands
- Trouble breathing
- Nausea or vomiting
- Urinating more or less than usual
- Foamy or bloody urine
- High blood pressure that’s hard to control
If something feels off, it's always a good idea to see your doctor.
How it’s diagnosed
A few simple tests can help check kidney health:
- Blood tests to see how well your kidneys are filtering
- Urine tests to look for protein or blood
- Imaging like an ultrasound to look at the kidneys
Sometimes doctors will do a biopsy (small tissue sample) if they need a closer look at what’s going on.
How to help your kidneys
The treatment for kidney disease depends on what’s causing the problem. It can be as simple as changing a medicine that’s causing damage. More serious cases may need dialysis (a procedure to clean your blood) or a kidney transplant. But there are a few things everyone can do to help their kidneys. Dr. Epling recommends:
- Eating a kidney-friendly diet that’s lower in salt and protein
- Staying active and keeping a healthy weight
- Managing conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure
- Drinking enough water (you’ll know you’re hydrated if your urine is clear or pale yellow)
- Limiting NSAIDs, the group of meds that includes over-the-counter painkillers like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), aspirin (Bayer) and naproxen (Aleve)
- Quitting smoking (vaping, too!)
- Cutting back on drinking alcohol or stopping it altogether
- Getting regular checkups so your doctor can screen for any issues
If you have concerns about your kidney health, don’t put it off—reach out to your family doctor today.
